Seems the bunny has revived. Good!

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Lance is a girl and goes by Catelyn while with Red

Chapter 4

 

            The dinner was nice. And afterwards, Catelyn said goodbye to him, or would have, but he asked her if she wanted to travel to Johto with him.

            Red had been doing some thinking. If people thought he had a girlfriend, that would stop the hordes of fangirls who stalked him, right? Hopefully…

            Well, if not, one could always hope…

            Hope was good… hope had kept him going for a long time. It could keep him going a while longer.

            Sometimes, he wondered if his parents would still be proud of him if they were still alive. They had died when he was nine, just months before he set out on his pokémon journey…

            They had been caught in a storm on a sailboat and perished that way. It was sad, but true.

            Sometimes he’d wish it had only been a dream, but no luck. Well, maybe they weren’t dead; they’d never found the bodies after all.

            Well, what did it matter now? He should quit moping and move on with his life. He already had. He was Champion, had all the badges, used pokemon…

            He and his pokemon were *happy*!

            Wasn’t that enough?

           

            Johto seemed cool though. He’d been there for only a few days, but already he’d aught a lot of pokémon. Professor Oak was going to be quite pleased with this. He was.

            A champion has to do something in his free time after all…

            The only bad thing was that his picture had been in a lot of magazines and there were fangirls here too…

            “Come on…”

            “You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend?”

            “Please?”

            “Well, I guess I could do it…” Lance said, injecting a confused and doubtful note into the tone. “But why?”

            “See, there’s this problem I have with fangirls…”

            “Fangirls?”

            “People want to go out with me only because I’m the Champion.” Red explained, sighing heavily.

            “But that’s horrible…”

            “I know! So will you help me?” Red turned on the puppy dog eyes, completely unaware of it though. Lance smiled inwardly.

            “Of course I will.”

            “You’re the best, Catelyn!”
            “Well, why thank you, Red. I didn’t expect anything like that….”

            “Hmm…” Red looked pensive. * I should probably offer her something if she’s going to pretend to be my girlfriend. At least she isn’t silly and giggly and seems pretty decent with pokemon… *

            “Do you want me to pay you?”
            “Pay me for pretending to be your girlfriend?”

            “Er, yes.”

            “… That doesn’t seem fair.”

            ‘I guess so, but I’d feel bad making you playact for nothing…”

            Lance looked thoughtful. “Well, I’ve always wanted a Flygon… or an Altaria, but they only live in far-off Houen…”

            “Ah! I’d be glad to help you find and catch pokemon!”

            “Then we have a deal.”

            Red grinned. “I won’t let you down, Catelyn.”

            Catelyn smirked inwardly. * I’m sure you won’t… *

 

            “What? Red’s left Kanto?”

            “Yes, he went off to Johto three days ago.” Oak said. “Why?”

            “Oh no…”

            “What is it? Is Red in danger?” The Professor was worried. And why did Yellow have Red’s Pikachu with him still, after all this time?

            This made no sense whatsoever…

           

She was tired, though, so they set up camp for the night…

Lance closed her eyes. It was working rather too well, and Red’s request had been an unexpected bonus. Strange…

            Would he have asked anyone, then?

            Why deny the truth?

            It was true. Did she mind, oh no, not at all… not yet. She had time to win his heart over to her side and steal him from the thief.

            Cheap? Perhaps but she would never lower herself to use Attract or love potions unlike some people...

            And Red had asked her of his own free will, his own volition. Surely that was enough proof he thought of her as a friend?

 

            “Catelyn? You’re spacing out.” Red said, as he tossed a poke ball at the Sentret he had just downed. It was easily caught and transferred. “Are you all right?”

            “Just a bit dizzy. We’ve been walking for five hours already.” She paused. “Oh, a break would be good…”

            “I think so too!” Red grinned. So now what? They had lemonade and some fruit while they sat under the sheltering branches of a maple tree, lushly verdant green…

            He did feel better, but he was kind of tired from hiking as well. At least he was in good shape!

            Yes, he was!

 

            “Red?”

            “Hmm? Did you want to stop for today, Catelyn?”

            “No, not that. I just wondered why there was someone flying towards us.”

            Red looked up. It was a girl he recognized.

            “Hi, Blue!”

            Blue waved. She was riding her Jigglypuff. A closer look revealed a boy with reddish hair behind her.

            Ah, Silver…

            Things could get very interesting right now…

           

End Chapter

Completed 9/8/05

Finally! Something else…

Roy Mustang talks in code. How absolutely cool! ^^ *Smirky Smile*